Was a Harley nearby ?

[The emperor has no clothes]

I think I've read posts on here before similar to my circumstance. But, I'll throw this out to get some recommendations. I ride my bike to work and then ride it across the street at lunch time to Dairy Queen. Yesterday when I got off work at 4, I noticed a wet stain under the bike. I didn't think much of it, figured I must have parked over somebody's oil leak. Well today same exact thing. When I get off sure enough there is a wet stain exactly like yesterday. I'm not the brightest bulb, but even I can understand the odds of parking over an oil leak unnoticed two days in a row are slim. So I get down and look at my shifter seal to see if it's leaking. Looks ok. Then I notice a little bit of antifreeze on the little air scoop on the interstate crash bar. Sure enough the wet spot is antifreeze. But, here is my dilemma. It doesn't leak in my garage, or when ride, or when I park coming to work. It seems to only have happened after the short rides across the street and back. Is the concensus a loose radiator lower hose ?

[NewValker]

Maybe walk across the street from now on?   
Craig

[cookiedough]

right side or left side of valk?

My UPPER right radiator hose was leaking drizzling down on right side of bike, was not the lower hose.

Inspect for leaks shining a flashlight on all hose clamp areas should be hopefully able to find it.  I loosened the clamp and re-adjusted hose ever so slightly and re-tightened a smidge more so far so good.

[Jess from VA]

The hose is probably a good bet.  (If you don't wipe anything, a flashlight in the garage should reveal a shiny trail for you)

But, I'd check my level and if it's OK I might not jump on it.

Winter hibernation and Spring temp changes often cause a few dribbles that go away in short order.

It's cooler out there now, so maybe the temp changes on short rides is doing the same thing.

PS: I once had a very small transmission leak in my car (loose clamp).  It never dripped a drop in the driveway, but it dripped when driving, and always blew down the underside of the car.  I only noticed when the car inexplicably began to take a few beats after shifting into drive before moving, and was low on the dip when checked.  A quart plus low, but not a single drip in the driveway was baffling. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

Maybe walk across the street from now on?   
Craig

I'm too lazy for that. Especially when it's 125*

[msb]

The combination of "riding across the street" to a Dairy Queen every day for lunch sure doesn't sound like a very healthy routine    Sorry...just had to....

What I discovered last year when I had a similar issue and ultimately found that my water pump needed replacing, is that little leak can turn into one of what I call "beget jobs", in that one thing begets another. Replace the water pump and find out the t-hose on top is cracked when disconnecting the pump and needs replacing as well, which leads to discovering the O-rings in the tubes that go into the block need replacing too, and so on... took me a couple of days before I got everything sealed up properly (thanks to the help of some on here).

[Forge]

I recently had to replace my 19 year old oem radiator cap on my 99 Interstate. I started smelling coolant and when I stopped, I saw coolant all over the core and around my pod and radiator cap. I happened to stop in a burger restaurant parking lot so I went in to get something to eat while she cooled down. When I checked her, the coolant was about a third of the way down in the radiator!
So I went back and forth with my cup filling her with tap water and limped her home the last 10 miles or so. I had been thrashing her pretty hard.

The rubber in the cap was a little hard, so not knowing how old the coolant was since I bought her earlier this year, changed the coolant and installed a new oem radiator cap. I’ve not had a leak since.

[The emperor has no clothes]

The combination of "riding across the street" to a Dairy Queen every day for lunch sure doesn't sound like a very healthy routine    Sorry...just had to....

What I discovered last year when I had a similar issue and ultimately found that my water pump needed replacing, is that little leak can turn into one of what I call "beget jobs", in that one thing begets another. Replace the water pump and find out the t-hose on top is cracked when disconnecting the pump and needs replacing as well, which leads to discovering the O-rings in the tubes that go into the block need replacing too, and so on... took me a couple of days before I got everything sealed up properly (thanks to the help of some on here).

Nobody has ever accused me of taking care of my body Mike.  I hope my issue isn't as involved as yours was, but it is almost 20 years on original hoses and pump. I've got Saturday off for a more thorough exam. (The bike, not me) 

[msb]

The combination of "riding across the street" to a Dairy Queen every day for lunch sure doesn't sound like a very healthy routine    Sorry...just had to....

What I discovered last year when I had a similar issue and ultimately found that my water pump needed replacing, is that little leak can turn into one of what I call "beget jobs", in that one thing begets another. Replace the water pump and find out the t-hose on top is cracked when disconnecting the pump and needs replacing as well, which leads to discovering the O-rings in the tubes that go into the block need replacing too, and so on... took me a couple of days before I got everything sealed up properly (thanks to the help of some on here).

Nobody has ever accused me of taking care of my body Mike.  I hope my issue isn't as involved as yours was, but it is almost 20 years on original hoses and pump. I've got Saturday off for a more thorough exam. (The bike, not me) 

While you're up under there, do yourself a favour and replace those o-rings where the tubes go into the block. Mine were hard, completely flat and paper thin... one side was leaking the other was not. After it was pointed out to me on here, I found it to be an extremely quick, easy, and inexpensive process.

[Jonesz]

My buddy had a similar situation with his 2000 interstate, but his only seemed to leak upon start up, hardly a drop while sitting in the garage. We bought some dye which makes the coolant more visible ( more so with a black light) and put her up on the hoist. It turned out to be two rad hoses upper and lower that were quite loose and leaking. This did occur after the temps dipped in this part of the country. Couple of turns on the clamp (two full turns on the upper) and no more leaks. His was an easy fix.

[The emperor has no clothes]

My buddy had a similar situation with his 2000 interstate, but his only seemed to leak upon start up, hardly a drop while sitting in the garage. We bought some dye which makes the coolant more visible ( more so with a black light) and put her up on the hoist. It turned out to be two rad hoses upper and lower that were quite loose and leaking. This did occur after the temps dipped in this part of the country. Couple of turns on the clamp (two full turns on the upper) and no more leaks. His was an easy fix.

Thanks, that’s what I’m hoping for. 

[Tfrank59]

Harleys leak oil not coolant, so rule that out  

yeah, I'd start with tightening the rad hose clamps.  the upper one at the thermo housing is tricky--1/4 drive with universal joint and two extensions, depending on the position of the clamp screw might be able to get to it.  if it still leaks after that, ?

[Fazer]

Rob--I have been dealing with a very frustrating coolant leak where the overflow hose connects to the overflow tank.  It drips on the exhaust chrome.  I tried a worm gear hose clamp with no luck, then I replaced the entire hose, still leaking.  Finally I bought some spring steel fuel line clamps and also tightened a zip tie around the "barb" of the nipple and I think it's finally solved.  haven't ridden in a few days because of the weather, so will find out shortly.

Greg

[98valk]

remember that thermo housing is a soft aluminum casting, don't tighten too much or it will deform and need replacement.